Bacillus licheniformis bloodstream infections associated with oral probiotic administration: Two case reports

Bacillus licheniformis is a facultative anaerobe, gram-positive, endogenous, spore-forming bacillus. It is included in a probiotic preparation commonly used in clinical practice and is usually safe for oral administration. In this paper, we report two cases of bloodstream infection resulting from using B. licheniformis probiotic preparations for gastrointestinal bleeding. The results suggest that B. licheniformis should be used with caution in people who are immunocompromised and suffering from severe= damage to the intestinal mucosal barrier.